Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) has revived the issue of superannuation of State government employees and resolved to resume its agitation, which was suspended in the month of January 2008.
NSF president Imchatoba Imchen and general secretary Hetoi Chishi in a press release alleged that the State government had taken the decision to enhance the age of superannuation from 57 to 60 years without taking the NSF into confidence, despite the MoU with NSF in 1991 fixing the superannuation age at 57 years or 33 years length of service, whichever was earlier.
The federation said it would resume its agitation by staging a protest rally and demonstration march from NSF office, Naga Club Building, to New Secretariat on November 19 at 10 a.m.
Appealing for public cooperation, NSF cautioned that any action of the State government or group contrary to the demand of NSF would be treated as “anti youth and anti people.”
Stating that as per report available in 2007, the educated unemployed youth in Nagaland stood as high as 55,000, the federation said the action of the government had deprived the educated and talented youth who could have ushered in dynamism and dedication to drive the state to compete with others.
Pointing out that all educated youth were queuing up for government jobs since the State offered little employment avenues in other sectors, the NSF said any sensible government would have cared not to overlook “this vital component for growth and progress to this fragile society.” The federation also hit out at some “outdated” senior employees for making all efforts to retain their posts “shamelessly without any sense of accountability and morale conscience.”
(Full text on page 4)